Last May when Terry and I
flew to Paris via Reykjavik
I was beyond excited.
Our plane's route took us
over the heart of the northern landscape
I fell in love with as a young girl.
I could not tear my eyes from
the wilderness of lake and forest
that stretched in all directions
as far as I could see.
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| Northwestern Ontario May, 2014 © M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved |
It's not the vastness of the landscape
that struck me, but the emptiness.
I searched for the small communities
that are scattered across the lowlands
west of Hudson Bay and James Bay,
but I found no sign of people anywhere.
The area is often described as remote,
but it's hard to grasp what that means
until you watch the empty landscape
slide by dreamlike
under a plane's wing
for a long time.
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Donald MacBeath Photo by Uno Manilla October 1960 © M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved |
I thought of my father
in his lonely room
pushing back
the black night
of the northern bush
by typing his letters
to the rhythm
of Dixieland jazz
spilling from his
blue transistor radio.
Flying over the stark landscape
really drove home to me
how isolated my father was
and why letters from home
were the highlight of his week.
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| Northwestern Ontario May, 2014 © M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved |
In a letter written on Friday, October 7, 1960
my father remarked to his mother:
I received four lovely letters
from you in the mail today. ...
Don’t think that I mind getting so many letters
or answering them either.
I enjoy it very much.
I don’t feel so lonesome
when I am writing and receiving letters
from the family, so keep them coming.
 |
 |
Myrtle MacBeath
(Dad's Mother)
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved
I have only a few of the letters
my Grandmother MacBeath wrote to my father,
but from his letters to her
it is obvious that she peppered him
with questions as only a mother can.
In the same letter he wrote:
We eat very well at the Father’s, thank you.
We have porridge or dry cereal every morning,
and eggs and bacon,
except on Friday when we just have eggs.
We also have fruit juice or fresh fruit every morning
and usually have fresh or canned fruit for dessert.
For dinner and supper we have meat of assorted kinds,
and lots of fresh vegetables, and potatoes,
and quite frequently fresh greens.
They get fresh fruit, eggs, milk, and butter every Friday.
The only fault that I can find is
that the milk sometimes gets kind of high
before the next comes in,
but I have learned to tolerate
canned milk in tea and on cereal,
though I would prefer fresh milk.
I don’t drink milk with my meals now.
I use tea at all meals
and make coffee for myself in the evenings.
It is just as well that I have stopped drinking milk,
because it is fattening.
Besides it is damned expensive – 65¢ a quart.
The children are going to have to drink powdered milk next year,
but other than that, they will be able to eat as well as outside.
The only game I have had was moose meat,
and I wasn’t overly impressed with that.
The Father had a great potato crop this year,
over a hundred bags off a small piece of ground.
Father Ouimet and Dad
in the Rectory Kitchen
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
I really love it up here, Mother.
I have never been so happy, or contented,
or relaxed before in my life.
My nerves are much better,
and I am healthier in all respects.
I was really in bad shape this spring and early summer,
and this place is just what the doctor ordered.
The only thing that bothers me is the loneliness.
If I had my family up here with me,
it would be heaven on earth.
My Father with a Kitty
Prince Edward Island, circa 1930
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
If the new teacherage is large enough,
you could even come up for a month or so at Christmas.
The only rough part would be the night at Nakina
and the trip in with the bush pilot,
but I think you are sport enough to enjoy that.
I might even be able to fly out to Nakina to meet you,
though this would be quite expensive -
$60.00 for the return trip.
Nakina Hotel
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
You would have to wear warm clothes for the trip in,
because the planes aren’t too well heated.
However we can worry about all this
when the time comes if it ever does.
There is no sense in planning over a year ahead.
Well, I must sign off now. ...
Austin Airways is coming in here tomorrow
if the weather holds out,
and I should be able to get this out with the pilot.
At least, it will be ready if he does come in.
Bye now,
love Don.
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue